Food blogging can be pretty frustrating at times, but especially when you’ve made a recipe that tasted great, but the photos didn’t really make the food look good. I made this Slow Cooker Pork Sirloin Tip Roast with Balsamic Vinegar, Rosemary, and Red Onions for the second time and the final photos still weren’t anything I was happy with. Then I noticed the photo of the pork roast in the slow cooker and I decided that although it’s a pretty casual photo it did show how tasty the pork roast looked when it was done. And since I still have a broken arm (two more weeks, fingers crossed) I decided to share this delicious slow cooker pork roast with the photo I had. No worries, right?

This was another recipe where I used one of those very inexpensive and lean pork sirloin tip roasts that come in a four-pack at Costco. We started by grinding up a mixture of black pepper, Penzey’s Pork Chop Seasoning, and Rosemary and Garlic Herb Rub and rubbed it all over the pork roast. If you don’t have those exact spice and herb blends, any seasonings with similar ingredients can work.

Then we heated some olive oil in a large frying pan and browned the roast well on all sides. Put the roast in the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with the beef stock, simmer to reduce by half, then strain to remove any big pieces of spices or congealed juice from the meat.

Then add the balsamic vinegar, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 5 minutes. Pour the liquid over the roast and cook for about 2 hours on high.

At this point you can remove the roast and put the onions in the bottom if you want them really well done. We just turned the roast over, piled the onions in on top of the meat, and cooked it for about 90 minutes more on high. By then it was looking pretty delicious!

We turned off the slow cooker but kept the meat in there to stay warm while we simmered the liquid for about 20 minutes so it was a little more concentrated. Then slice the meat, arrange the onions around it, and pour the sauce over. Serve hot.

Directions:

Trim visible fat from the pork sirloin tip roast. (There will not be much fat.) Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind together the spices; then rub the meat all over with the spice mix, using it all.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the pork roast well on all sides. (This will take 8-10 minutes; don’t rush the browning step.) Put the browned roast in the slow cooker.

Add the beef stock to the frying pan, turn the heat to high, and simmer until the stock is reduced by half, scraping any browned bits from the bottom.

When it’s reduced to 1/2 cup, strain the mixture, put it back in the frying pan, add the balsamic vinegar, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 5 minutes more. Pour the liquid over the meat and cook on high for about 2 hours (or on low for 4-5 hours.)

When the meat has cooked on high for about 2 hours (or on low for 4-5 hours), peel the red onions, cut into thick slices, and separate them into rings.

You can either remove the roast and put the onions in the bottom (for more well-done and more vinegar-flavored onions or turn the meat over and pile the onions around it (for less well done and less vinegar-flavored onions.)

Turn slow cooker to high if you had been cooking on low and cook with the onions added for about 60-90 minutes more.

Taste the sauce and see if you’d like it a little more concentrated, and if so, remove the meat, pour the sauce into a pan, and simmer for about 20 minutes on medium-high heat (or until it is as concentrated as you’d like it.) I turned off the slow cooker but put the roast back inside it to stay warm while I reduced the liquid.

Slice roast across the grain into slices about 3/4 inch thick, arrange on a plate with the onions, and serve with the sauce poured over or in a bowl on the side.

Notes:

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Slow Cooker Pork Sirloin Tip Roast with Balsamic Vinegar, Rosemary, and Red Onions uses extra lean pork roasts which are perfect for the South Beach Diet, which recommends meat with less than 10% fat. This recipe is also Paleo and it’s suitable for any type of Low-Carb diet.

Nutritional Information?
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Please don't worry about responding – just put the energy into healing. Wanted to let you know how darn auspicious this post is. My oven died, completely and finally, just before the blizzard. And last night I took out a Costco pork lump to roast…. well duh! So, I thought I'd have to try the slow cooker – and here in my inbox is this lovely recipe. Can't wait to get the smells going! Thank you for cooking, for being uncanny – everything.

We started the pork in our slow cooker (a pretty big one), and went out to shop for a new stove. When we got back, the roast smelled so good! I added the onions while we got settled/fed the dogs. Because the cooker was big, the onions didn't submerge, and I just cooked them in liquid while it simmered down. I was lovely, tasty, and the onions just make the sauce. Tomorrow I'll make a sandwich with the pork and the drained onions – yum.

I think you could do this with just garlic salt and some rosemary, but the rubs added flavor, and the sauce kept the meat from drying into wood. Thank you for a great and timely recipe!

This looks amazing… I am a good cook, but my weak point is pork. I love all things Costco, so I will go find it and try it. Rosemary, Balsamic vinegar, onions…love, love, love …. can't wait to make it.

Don't you just hate that – something that tastes like heaven but looks like something the dog dragged in?? And roasts are particularly bad for that – bug brown lumps of meat! But I love this photo – makes me want to grab a fork 🙂 Sorry to hear about the arm – what did you do??

Went to Costco today and bought the roasts. I have never cooked a pork roast, so I am glad you told us what to buy. Can't wait to make it, and am happy it is a small roast. Put the other 3 in the freezer for now and can't wait to experiment with some of the other recipes later on. Thanks!

I know 3 posts on 1 recipe…I made it and it was wonderful… total success. I was going to be out, and didn't want to overcook it so I put it 4 hours on low and then it auto switched to warm for 3-4 hours on warm. I added the onions when I got home, but after a half hour I couldn't wait so transferred the juice and onions to a saucepan and reduced. Added a little ginger to the rub as I didn't have the pork chop spice mix and when I looked on the Penzey website I noticed it mentioned ginger. I was able to make the other mix. Highly recommend,sliced up really nicely too, didn't shred. Thanks again!

I just sat down to find ways to use the pork sirloin roast that came with my meat CSA and was thrilled to see one from my friend – YOU! It sounds delicious and I just printed a copy so that I can prepare it for dinner on Sunday with the family. xoxox M

Excellent recipe! I modified it slightly and cooked in a pressure cooker rather than a slow cooker. I also made a red and yellow pepper risotto that was a great addition to this dish. Thank you for sharing.

This looks great… don't know how I missed it last year. Have to check my Costco to see if they have that cut; I'm not familiar with it. But I'm certain I'll love it. It's typical Kalyn… great ingredients, has to be delicious!!